* Unemployment was at 3.8% in early 2008 – contrasted to 6.6% currently

* Labour enacted tax-cuts for the middle class, through ‘Working for Families’

* Labour instituted Kiwisaver, to get New Zealanders to start saving, and to counter our over-reliance on overseas capital

* Labour re-nationationalised NZ Rail, which had been run down and close to collapse; and Air New Zealand, which had collapsed

* Labour set up Kiwibank, which finally forced the Big Banks to become more competitive with their interest rates and bank charges

There is much more that Labour could have achieved during their nine years in office, but I think their track record is pretty damned good.

Regarding the unemployment rate; neo-liberal might well say that our high unemployment is not National’s fault – but is the result of the 2008 banking crisis and resulting Recession.

That might well be true. But I would make two observations to neo-liberals trying to excuse the current levels of unemployment;

1/ Even if the high rate of unemployment is not National’s fault – what has National done to address this pressing problem? The cycle-way was pathetic. The Jobs Summit in early 2009 was a joke. National has done nothing since 2008 to implement job-creation policies.

2/ Neo-liberals keeping reminding us that high unemployment is the result of the recession? In which case why are they continually targetting unemployed welfare beneficiaries – as if being jobless was somehow their fault?

If it’s good enough for National to point to the Recession – why can’t the unemployed point to the same cause of their predicament?

It may take time, but I think New Zealanders will slowly be waking up to the simple fact that they are being conned.